The interesting ceremony of laying the foundation stone of St. Thomas's Church, Winchelsea, took place on Monday last, the 20th August 1860. It was laid by Thomas Austin, Esq. of 'Barwon Park,' one of the trustees, in the presence of John Rout Hopkins, Esq. of 'Wormbete,' trustee; Mr. Edward Prowse, superintending architect; Mr. Austin's family, Mr. William Stirling, and a goodly number of the inhabitants of the town and district; the other trustee, George Armytage, Esq. of 'Ingleby,' being unavoidably absent.

The ceremony commenced by the Incumbent, the Rev. Edward Tanner, offering up a prayer, after which a hymn was sung; the reverend gentleman then delivered an interesting address to an attentive audience, and concluded by singing the Doxology, and giving the benediction.

During the proceedings a parchment document was read, the purport of which was as follows:- "In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, the first stone of this Church, dedicated to the Holy Apostle Saint Thomas, and erected by voluntary contributions, assisted by Government aid to the amount of £500; was laid by Thomas Austin, Esq., of 'Barwon Park,' Winchelsea, on the twentieth day of August, anno domini one thousand eight hundred and sixty, and in the twenty-fourth year of Her Most Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria, and in the fourteenth year of the Episcopacy of Charles Perry, D.D., Lord Bishop of Melbourne. The trustees being - Thomas Austin, Esq., 'Barwon Park,' J.P.; John Rout Hopkins, Esq., 'Wormbete,' J. P.; George Armytage, Esq., 'Ingleby,' J.P. The incumbent being Edward Tanner, Clerk. The designing architect being Nathaniel Billing, Melbourne. The superintending architect being Edward Prowse, Geelong. The contractors for the erection of the building being William Voyle, James Baker, George Laidlaw, and William Smith."

Then followed a list of the original subscribers, headed by the Trustees and Mr. Arthur Hopkins to the amount of one hundred guineas each, well followed by Messrs. Wiltshire, Stirling, Rev. Edward Tanner, and others for £25 each.

This document was folded up and placed in a bottle, together with a copy of the "Geelong Advertiser" and one of each of the current coins of the realm, after which the bottle was hermetically sealed and deposited in a cavity formed for the purpose of receiving it, by Master Thomas Austin. The foundation stone was then lowered to its bed, and properly adjusted by his father Thomas Austin, Esq., with the aid of the necessary level, square, and mallet, he declared in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, that the stone was well and truly laid.

We have had great pleasure in chronicling this event, as we are of opinion that such ceremonies are productive of great good, and should be held in sober earnestness, as they serve to form strong marks for reference in after life by those interested in the progress of the township, and its religious advancement as well as for epochs in its history.